L’Oréal’s New Underground Beauty Initiative

If my morning commute is any indication, the women of New York City consider the subway system their own personal vanity table. I have seen liquid eyeliner applied on a train barreling across the Manhattan Bridge (I almost applauded) and once witnessed a woman blending liquid foundation with a brush while standing, in heels, an arm hooked around a pole (she had the balance of a ninja).

Now beauty-conscious commuters don’t even have to bring their own makeup kit. On Monday, L’Oréal Paris is launching its Intelligent Color Experience, a seriously high-tech beauty vending machine, at the Bryant Park subway station. This morning, Coco Rocha gave us a very glamorous demonstration of how it works: You walk up to a mirror, which scans your outfit. On an adjacent screen, L’Oréal Paris eye, lip, and nail shade suggestions appear. You can select options that match (for a subtle look) or clash (for a bolder effect) with your clothes. Once you tap on the products you want, you swipe your credit card and pocket the goods. The machine will be open through December 30 and, if all goes well, could be the first of many throughout the subway system.